Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-03-11
The "TOwnship System"

The question of Incorporating the town
or township system of local government
into the new constitution of Maryland
soon to be framed and adopted, was cas-
ually discussed at the recent farmers con-
vention in Baltimore city. While the
meeting did not appear to have the sub
ject very we'll in hand, or to have mature
ly considered its adaptability to local gov
ernment in Maryland, or the practical adj
vantages to result from its adoption; still
the idea was received with some favor by
the meeting and the question will doubt
less be presented to the consideration of
the constitutional convention.
For the information of our readers and
in response to some inquiries regarding
the peculiarities OF this system, we print
the following extract from the article on
the subject in the American Encyclopedia:
The system Of town government has existed
in New England since the settlement OF the
colonies, and in substantially the same form as
at present except that classes Of town officers
their various duties more particularly pre-
scribed. Here it still prevails in its purest form
in New York and few other States it exists in
a modified form with two or three exceptions,
it is rot in the southern States. In New Eng
land it is the most important political division
of the State Excepting unorganiZed portions
Of Maine. New Hampshire, and Vermont, and
certain incorporated cities which have super
seded towns. the entire territory and popula-
there we've in New England l.424 towns, with
an average area of "a SO. m, and an average
population of of 2 45O or. excluding cities and
towns having over TO- 900 inhabitants, :, 700.
The town is a political and corporate body
created bv the legislature. Its rights. duties,
and liabilities are defined by law, and it is re-
sponsible for any act or omission in violation
OF the law to the person injured or to the State.
1t can he fined in the same manner as an indi-
vidual. Except in Massachusetts and Maine,
where representation is by districts, it is EMIT
led to an independent representation in the
lower branch of the legislature. 1t elects its
own executive officers, supports schools, main
tains roads and bridges supports paupers, re-
strains lunatcs, manages local police, pro-
tects the public health against infections
diseases, collects through it own officers not
only its self-imposed taxes for local purposes,
but also that State taxes and those levied by
county officers, and generally administers its
own public affairs The town officers are usual
ly elected annually and IN the spriRg. The
chief ones a town clerk, three, hve, seven,
or q ne selectmen, three or more assessors with
sometimes assistant assessors, three or more
overseerS of tha poor, treasurer, one or more
surveyors of highways. three or more members
of school committee, and coustsbies. who are
required to collect taxes unless collectors are
chosen. The most important officers are the
selectmen, who transact the general public
business of the town Usually one of them
called the first selectmen, appointed by the
body from their owl number or elected to that
position by the freemen of the town, acts as the
agent and general executive officer, but in the
more important matters he consults the other
seectmen. The most important business, such
as that relating to to xes, and establishing roads,
bridges. &c, is transacted by the voters of the
town in town meeting, which is the general
Legislative body of the town. The county in
England IN an unimportsnt subdivision of
sd exists mainly for judicial pur-
Me-" ~ Stats does comparatively lit
the State. Ne towns raise by tax
poses. Even .st times tie amount
lie public business, s1dsss -
s5peud At os fs
twill be seen that this system seems to
have been in the history of this country,
and still to be peculiar to the denseiy pop
ulated New England States. There it was
introduced at the first establishment of
the colonies after the fashion of the then
existing system of town governments in
the European countries, and it seems to
have proved itself to be so we'll adapted
to the administration of the local affairs
of those States that it has been continued
in its purity down to the present time
But it is stated in the same article of the
Encyclopedia that "from various causes
the self governing feature of the towns OF
Continental Europe has been almost en-
tirely oblterated" And although in the
Western States, by the system of Z S. sur
veys by which they are laid out, every
county is subdivided into certain we'll
defined townships Consisting of mathe-
matlcal squares or rectangles OF the u1l-
form area Of SO square miles; still the
township system OF local government does
not seem to have been adopted in its puri-
ty in any of them, though it does exist in
a modified form ia some of the more popu-
lous of those States.
The idea of home rule and local self
government lies at the bottom Of our
American ideas of free government and is
a cardinal principle of the Democratic
party. Still the fundamental idea OF all
government is the association together OF
communities sufficiently large to be self,
sustaining and capable of adequately pro-
viding for the common good. Under oul
Federal system the unit of government II
the State, which is invested with sover'
eighty in the regulation of its internal at
fairs, subject always to the limitations o.
the federal compact The State is again
subdivlded for the purposes of admins
tering justice and the management of the
local municipal affairs into certain minol
divisions In this, aid most of the Other
States the county is found to be the only
necessary subdivision for purposes of bott
the judicial admins ration of justice ano
the local domestic government.
Whatever may be the necessity existing
in the densely populated New England
States for further subdivision of the ter
ritory of the State for the purposes of loca
government, it seems difficult to see an!
necessity for any such further subdivision
of the counties of Maryland, and especial
ly of Southern Maryland, where the popu
lation is so sparse and widely separated
In this State, certainly in this section o
it, it is believed that a further subdivi
sion of the local communities and conse
quent segregation of local taxes woult